A New Thing

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19

Eleven years ago today, God did a new thing in my life.  At that time I had been unemployed for about eighteen months.  My father was supporting me while I looked for a job.  I strongly believed that God had called me to live in the city where I was living, but I could not find employment in the city He had called me to.  My dad told me that he would not be able to support me anymore and asked that I return home.  I went home, as he asked, but inside I had no intention of staying.  I knew that my Heavenly Father would take care of me.  This did not stop the fear or anxiety of the whole situation, yet I remained with my faith firmly, staunchly, almost stubbornly, on the word the Lord had given me about where I should be.

While at home with my parents I received an email from a young lady that attended my church about a part time  position at her mother’s company.  I didn't ask her any questions about her mom, her mom’s job or the position because I was sure that this was the door that God had opened for me.  Now how was I going to get back?  It wasn't like I could walk there.  I needed plane ticket, but I had no money. I could not dare ask my parents.  I had already spoken with the young lady’s mother and had already made an appointment for an interview on Friday, August 8^th.  I needed to get back.  Within a day two friends came to me and each gave me $100.  I did not solicit this money from them.  One of them actually said to me that I needed to get back soon. She had no idea about the job interview.  With $200 I had just enough money to purchase a plane ticket, but my God is not a God of just enough.  He is a God of more than enough. 

Later that same day my mother came to me and asked me a very simple question.  Although a simple question, my answer was one of those answers that became a defining moment in my life.  She asked me why was I so adamant about this.  I answered because God said so.  She said that was the answer she needed to hear.  She then told me that she would buy my plane ticket.  She also had no clue about the job interview I had set up.

At the time I had no car so I had to catch the bus to my 7:00 am job interview.  Well, I lived quite a ways from the company location.  It would take me two buses to get there, and I would have to be at the bus stop at 5:00 am to get there by 7:00 am.  I was not deterred.  I had to get there, and I was going to get there.  When I arrived at the building at 7:00 am it was locked.  No one was there.  I would wait.  At 8:00 am a young lady arrived and opened the building door.  I told her who I was there for.  Obviously since the door was locked, the person had not arrived yet.  She was an hour late.  That’s okay.  I waited.

I took a seat in the lobby.  I picked up the July issue of Black Enterprise Magazine.  There was an interesting article in the magazine about a black female general contractor.  The article talked about her role in the construction industry and also her interest in teaching youth about investing.  Her teenage daughter appeared to be an investing guru.  As I was reading the article, someone walked in so I looked up, and to my surprise and astonishment it was the lady from the article standing right in front of me. 

She was the person I was interviewing with.  It was a construction company. I had so many questions for God.  I followed her upstairs to the office where she had me complete an application, after which the interview began.  She asked me if I had read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Thanks to my mother I was “tricked” into reading this book while I was in high school.  So my answer was yes.  We talked a little bit about the book and then she said, “Okay, when can you start?”  No questions about my experience or about my education or about anything other than that book.  Strange. 
“Today,” I said.   She sat me at a desk and then said that she had to leave for a meeting.  I didn't know anything about anything. I remember someone called and asked for the fax number, which I didn't know, but thank God for quick thinking.  It had to be on the business card right? And I had the business card so I was able to give them the fax number. 
From that day to this I have been there.  The journey has not been easy.  At times, it continues to have some rough terrain, but I am so thankful and grateful to God for positioning me at this place.  I have learned a lot about the industry, but I have learned so much more about life.  At times, most times, I do not understand my boss. To say that she is unorthodox is a tremendous understatement, but she is so wise in so many ways.  The greatest lessons that I have learned on my job, of course, have nothing to do with work.  Learning about the Mastermind principles from Think and Grow Rich, and living them out to help me set and achieve goals is probably one of the greatest life lessons I have learnt.  There are many more, though, and they are too many to list.
I've learnt a lot and I continue to learn, but now that I have been poured into, for the last couple of years it’s been about pouring into the others, who just like I did, come in for an interview.  I ask them the same question about what books do they read.  I find myself telling them the same things, and just like I didn't get it, they don’t get it, but they will get it one day. 

You just never know what God has for you.  It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was what I needed.  It was an unusual opportunity.  I wasn't going to blog this.  I was just writing because I like to write and today is 8/8 again so I needed to journal about my “anniversary”, but I feel that God wants me to share this testimony because He has an unusual opportunity for someone reading this.  It may not look like what you want, but it is what you need.  Look for His signs. He’ll show you them.  Eleven years ago, which was 8/8 and in the Bible the number eight is symbolic of new beginnings, He was doing a new thing with me.  Be encouraged He wants to do a new thing with you.